Bachelor of Science in Fire and Emergency Management

Description and Outcomes

The Bachelor of Science in Fire and Emergency Management program is designed for emergency services personnel and addresses the new challenges in technology, human resource management, and fiscal responsibility. The general public and government appointees are demanding higher levels of training and education for those who lead our nation's first response teams during catastrophic disasters, terrorist incidents, and typical emergencies. This bachelor's degree is designed to empower you to pursue leadership roles that include managing all aspects of modern fire, EMS, and emergency preparedness agencies. Additionally, this program could help increase your administrative and management knowledge as well as occupational and life safety awareness.

Kaplan University is recognized by the U.S. Fire Administration as an official Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) institution. Since 1999, FESHE leaders labored to produce, through consensus, a standardized undergraduate curriculum that is national in scope, content, and outcome. Fire-related and EMS management courses were developed for colleges and universities to use as a model when developing curriculum. All the courses share common titles, catalog descriptions, outlines, and content, which provide a national core of knowledge and competencies as suggested by FESHE. This degree program closely follows the FESHE model.

If you have already completed an associate’s or bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, you may be eligible for degree requirements to be waived and replaced with advanced start credit. Refer to Advanced Start Credit in Bachelor’s Degrees in the Prior Learning Assessment section for details.

Accelerated Master's Degree Options

If you are interested in earning a master's degree in human services, legal studies, psychology, or public administration, consider an accelerated master's degree option. Refer to the Progression Requirements section for details.

Program Length

The Bachelor of Science in Fire and Emergency Management program consists of a minimum of 180 quarter credit hours. Upon successful completion of the program, you will be awarded a bachelor of science degree.

Program Outcomes

Discipline-Specific Outcomes

Ethics: Evaluate ethical, social, civic, cultural, and political issues as they relate to the management of emergency services, safety, and survival.

Psychology: Appraise issues that deal with the psychological effects of emergency services, safety, and survival.

Research Methods: Demonstrate critical thinking to perform research about the management of disaster and fire defense planning using commonly accepted quantitative and qualitative analytical tools to understand and evaluate fire and emergency situations and scenarios.

Technology: Evaluate the use of technology to inform and enhance operational and strategic emergency management decisions.

General Education Literacies and Professional Competencies

In addition to the discipline-specific outcomes, general education literacies and professional competencies are integrated throughout your academic program. You can review the general education literacies and professional competencies associated with your academic program in the undergraduate School of General Education section of this Catalog.

These degree requirements can be waived for students who are eligible for advanced start credit with a prior degree. See Advanced Start Credit in Bachelor’s Degrees in the Prior Learning Assessment section for details.

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Eligible students who choose to complete an accelerated master's degree option will take four graduate-level courses in addition to selected undergraduate electives.